....and also a requirement. So when we went through the application process for ASYV- there were several characteristics and skill sets that they was looking for in their volunteers. They were looking for adaptability, patience, for people who know have experience with handling different or unknown situations, communications skills, skills in working in stressful situations. There are likely more- but I cannot remember them all.
I know now why.
My patience and ability to adapt is being tested every day. I'm not sure if any of my yoga training and experience in consensus based groups has given me the patience for staff meetings at the village. I can't really explain how they happen... but it's very different from what I would consider efficient. Which is not to say they do not communicate ideas, make people feel included and address the issues at hand. They just do it in a way that gives me the opportunity to develop patience.
Patience is not only required in the village but also while travelling around the country. Last weekend we took a journey to the north of Rwanda to Lake Burera and around. I'm pretty sure Rwandans don't travel that far in a weekend- but we had a 3 days weekend and wanted to make the most of it. I won't go into all the details, but basically over the three days we caught a moto, van bus, van bus, van bus, moto. Boat, van bus, walk. Car taxi, van bus, van bus, moto.
Some of those transitions were pretty seamless- and some of the the transitions were waiting in a bus shelter for several hours while it poured rain, playing kick the water bottle with a little girl, and talking in English with some high school students. Most of the time you wait because transportation doesn't really go unless it is full to the brim, or you wait because of some unknown reason I don't understand. There seems to be a method to which people get on the bus and where... but I have not figured it out. (This might go into a series I'm going to call Rwanda's Greatest Unsolved Mysteries, or Why Rwanda Why?)
And when I say full, let me illustrate for you. One of the van buses we took had 22 people in it (full grown adult people). The van buses are kind of like the skinny japanoid vans you see in Vancouver. They had to tie the trunk shut with rope and the doors were shut tight to squish all the people in. Now imagine being four people on a bench in the back. Now imagine half the leg room you normally have because the motor is bulging up into your leg room space. The other half of your leg room is being filled with onions, potatoes, sacks of rice and miscellaneous parcels. Then imagine you are Jack, and have incredibly long legs. Imagine now that you have Melissa sitting on top of Jack (now there are five people in one bench). Now imagine that it is already 25 to 30 degrees Celsius outside, and the motor itself kind of burns your feet or shins. Fun right? Luckily we were only on that leg for about one hour, and half way through someone got out so we could be a more roomy four to a bench.
Despite waiting, despite squishing, despite not really knowing where we were going- we had an adventure and got back safe and sound. This is likely not due to our prowess as adventurers, but because many Rwandans are very helpful in telling us which bus to take, which road, where to eat etc. Whether it is because they want to practice English, because they are genuinely friendly and helpful, or because they feel sorry for us because we obviously don't know Kinyarwanda and are walking around looking lost.... I don't know. What I do know is that everywhere we go someone is trying to help us.
(I was going to have pictures for this post... but after 3 tries of loading pictures and the internet disconnecting each time... I think alas my patience is gone and I will try again the next time. )
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